Title: The Knock at the Door – Living Romans 12:13
It was a rainy Wednesday afternoon, the kind that makes you want to stay wrapped in a blanket with a hot cup of coffee. I had just settled into my usual spot by the window, enjoying the stillness, when a knock echoed through the house.
Annoyed at first — after all, peace is rare these days — I opened the door to find a woman I barely knew from church. Soaked from head to toe, holding the hand of a little boy who looked no older than five. Her eyes searched mine, not for pity, but for something deeper: help… hope.
Suddenly, that verse wasn't just ink on a page. It wasn’t a suggestion or a pretty quote to post online. It was a summons, a call to action, and it had just arrived at my doorstep.
They didn’t need much — just a dry place to stay for the night, a warm meal, and someone to remind them they weren't alone. As I made them comfortable and warmed up some leftover stew, I realized how easily we can miss divine opportunities wrapped in inconvenience.
Hospitality isn’t always glamorous. It’s messy. It interrupts your routine. It asks you to open not just your home, but your heart — to give not from abundance, but from obedience.
Paul’s words in Romans 12:13 weren’t written in a vacuum. They were part of a larger appeal to live out a transformed life, where love leads and generosity flows. The early church didn’t grow because of impressive sermons or massive gatherings — it grew because believers cared deeply for one another, sharing whatever they had, opening their homes, and meeting needs without expecting anything in return.
That rainy day reminded me that the Gospel often comes wearing the face of a neighbor, a stranger, a single mom with a silent plea.
And when we practice it, we don’t just offer people a place to stay — we offer them a glimpse of the Kingdom of God.
Pamagat: Ang Kumatok sa Pinto – Isinabuhay ang Roma 12:13
Maulan na hapon ng Miyerkules noon—yung klase ng ulan na parang gusto ka na lang yakapin ng kumot at samahan ng mainit na kape. Nasa paborito kong pwesto na ako sa may bintana, tahimik, payapa… hanggang sa may kumatok.
Bahagyang inis ang naramdaman ko. Bihira ang ganitong katahimikan, tapos may istorbo pa. Pagbukas ko ng pinto, nandoon ang isang babaeng pamilyar lang ng kaunti mula sa simbahan. Basang-basa siya, hawak ang kamay ng batang lalaki na tinatayang limang taong gulang. Hindi awa ang hiningi ng kanyang mga mata — kundi tulong. Pag-asa.
Hindi na ito basta talata sa Biblia. Hindi ito quote na pang-post sa social media. Ito ay isang tawag. Isang utos. At ngayon, ito ay nasa pintuan ko.
Hindi naman sila humingi ng marami — matutuyuan lang, makakain, at makaramdam na may nagmamalasakit pa rin. Habang pinapainit ko ang tira-tirang sinigang, napagtanto ko: ang mga pagkakataon para magmahal at magbigay ay kadalasang dumadating sa anyong abala.
Ang tunay na hospitality ay hindi laging maganda sa paningin. Minsan magulo. Minsan istorbo. Pero ito ang pagsunod sa Diyos na nagbukas ng Kanyang tahanan para sa ating lahat. Hindi ito tungkol sa yaman — ito’y tungkol sa puso.
Hindi isinulat ni Pablo ang Roma 12:13 para lang maging paalala — ito ay paanyaya sa isang buhay na nagmamahal at nagbabahagi. Ang unang iglesya ay lumago hindi dahil sa dami ng tao o ganda ng sermon, kundi dahil sa malalim na malasakit sa isa’t isa.
At kapag tayo'y tumugon, hindi lang tayo nagbibigay ng lugar — nagbibigay tayo ng liwanag ng Kaharian ng Diyos.
Comments
Post a Comment